


Found

by naasad



Series: Stepfamily [1]
Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Family, Angst, Found Family, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-14
Updated: 2019-01-14
Packaged: 2019-10-10 02:25:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,030
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17417249
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/naasad/pseuds/naasad
Summary: Marion recognizes the name Lucien.





	Found

**Author's Note:**

> Yeah, my other fic about this was such a struggle to write, but I got this pounded out in half an hour, so. Let me know what you think! (I am only halfway through episode 26 at this point, but spoilers are so damn hard to avoid.)
> 
>  
> 
> [Inspired by this Tumblr post.](http://humlors.tumblr.com/post/180999067471/so-listen-me-and-justonenoodle-were-talking-dnd)

Marion smiled at her daughter as they sat together in the busy kitchen. “It’s so good to see you again and meet all your friends.”

Jester’s smile waned a bit. “Well, you didn’t meet Molly.” She bit into her pastry. “You would’ve liked him, mom. He was really nice. He was another Tiefling – you know? It was nice to have someone to speak Infernal with, and he was always smiling and making other people smile. He died before, and came back, but he didn’t come back this time, and I’m not sure I would want him to, anyway. Last time, he came back and he didn’t have any memories, just a whole bunch of weird powers and these red eye tattoos that sometimes bled.”

Marion stared.

“And we found out his name was Lucien, but that’s all we found out, and he didn’t want to find out anything else, he said he just wanted to be Mollymauk, and he was the best Mollymauk there ever was, and I miss him a lot. Mom, are you okay?”

Marion took a deep breath. “Oh, Jester,” she said, standing and wrapping her arms around her daughter. “Oh, my little sapphire, I’m so sorry.”

“Mom?” Jester gingerly returned the hug.

“I’m sorry, I know you wanted to meet him.”

“What?” Jester’s arms tightened around her mother, and tears welled in the corners of her eyes. “No, mom, no,” she sobbed. “No, he can’t be. It’s not fair.”

Marion carded a hand through her daughter’s hair. “I’m so sorry.”

“It’s not fair,” Jester wept.

 

* * *

 

 

After Jester had cried herself to sleep, Marion snuck down to the common area where the rest of the Mighty Nein had gathered.

Fjord stood the moment he saw her. “Ma’am.”

“Oh, none of that,” Marion smiled and gestured for him to sit. “You’re not exactly a guest here, go on, make yourself comfortable.”

“How can we help you?” the dirty Zemnian asked.

Marion bit her lip. “I only…. You all knew Lucien?”

“You knew Mollymauk?” the Aasimar – Yasha, that was her name – demanded.

Marion nodded, trying to alleviate the tension with a quick joke. “Many ways, many times.”

Fjord choked and turned bright red.

“Wait,” Beauregard said, holding up a hand. “Hold on. Is – Was Molly Jester’s dad?”

Marion bit her lip and nodded. “I thought you all should know. Jester’s going to be a bit out of sorts for a while.”

The Zemnian stood and left the room, his feline familiar following closely behind.

“I think…,” Nott said quietly. “I think Caleb and Molly had a thing.”

“A thing?” Caduceus asked.

Nott nodded. “A secret thing.” She kicked the rug a little. “He hasn’t smiled since he died.”

“Oh, that kind of a thing.”

 

* * *

 

 

Caleb paced the hallway outside Jester’s bedroom door. “Maybe I should wait a bit?” he asked Frumpkin, trying to gather his nerves. He knew what he wanted to do, what Molly would have wanted to do if he were still – He cleared his throat. “None of that now, Mister Caleb,” he muttered to himself. He cleared his throat. He knocked on the door. “Jester? _es ist Caleb._ ”

“Come in,” came the watery voice.

Caleb pushed open the door and walked towards the bundle on the bed.

“I’m sorry, Caleb,” Jester said, curled up in her blankets and pillows. “I’m probably not going to be very good company right now.”

“ _ja,_ that’s okay,” Caleb said. “Your mother has told us what is, eh, going on.” He rocked back and forth for a bit.

“Caleb?” Jester asked, smiling sadly. “Did you come to comfort me?”

Caleb nodded. “Well, _und…._ ” He sighed. “I know finding your father was important to you.”

“I found him,” Jester murmured. “I found him and then I lost him before I knew I found him.”

“I know, I know.” Caleb started rocking again. “But if you want, I don’t know if I would be any good at it, but I could be your, eh, what is the Common word for _Stiefvater_?” He stared blankly.

Jester giggled. “Caleb, I don’t speak Zemnian.”

Caleb blushed. “Oh, yes, yes. Eh…, something ‘father’, eh, _Stief…, Stief…, Stief…._ ”

“Stepfather?” Jester asked, chin wobbling.

“Ah, _ja, das ist es!_ ” Caleb grinned triumphantly, then turned somber. “I know I am not a good replacement, but I… I loved Mollymauk very much.” He swallowed and looked away. “I still love him. And I know if he knew, he would love you even more than he already does – did. And you – you deserve to have everything what you desire in life.”

Jester sobbed and wrapped her arms around his neck.

Caleb awkwardly returned the hug, rubbing his arms up and down her back. “I’m – I’m sorry, I did not mean to make you so upset.”

“I’m not upset,” Jester promised, burying her face in Caleb’s shoulder. “I’m just overwhelmed. How do you say papa in Zemnian?”

“Just like that,” Caleb murmured.

Jester nodded, pulling away and rubbing her eyes. “I’d love you to be my papa.” She froze, tilted her head. “Does this make Nott my grandmama?”

Caleb recoiled, shivering. “I do not know why you all insist upon this idea that Nott is my mother. _es ist_ just so weird…. If anything, it is the other way around.”

Jester nodded and patted his hand. “You keep telling yourself that, papa.”

There was a knock at the door, then Beau came sauntering in, the rest of them close behind. “What up? I heard someone might need a cuddle.”

Jester laughed and she and Caleb were swiftly tackled to the bed and piled upon by several hundred pounds of Aasimar, Half-orc, Firbolg, Goblin, and Human Monk.

Caleb wriggled out of the mess of limbs and made for the door, overwhelmed by the amount of bodies in such a small room, but Jester caught his hand and stopped him for a moment.

“I love you, papa.”

Caleb smiled, eyes crinkling at the corners, and leaned in to press a kiss to her forehead. “ _ich liebe dich auch, Liebling._ ”

“'Papa'?” Beau asked.

Caleb turned to his familiar. “Frumpkin, stay. Listen to Jester.”

Jester squealed.

“I knew it,” Nott said, as Caleb walked out the door.

**Author's Note:**

> Seriously, please review, this is my second fic for the fandom, and the only one I'm happy with. :/


End file.
